Music helps LaGrange teen work through disabilities

On the top choral riser, the shortest singer, 13-year-old LaGrange resident Niklas Watkins, stood angled toward his father, Ron Watkins, to whom he flashed big smiles and gave high- fives when he wasn’t singing Christmas carols.

When the keyboardist began playing a major hit from the 1950s, “That’s Amore,” the teen became animated. His grin stretched wide. His fists raised high above his head as he emphasized “That’s Amore.” When the concert was over, he ran straight into his mother’s arms.

There was a time when Niklas wouldn’t serenade his own parents, let alone strangers. Stage lights and choral risers caused him crippling anxiety. He has fragile X syndrome, a genetic condition that results in a spectrum of symptoms, including learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, autistic behaviors, sensory integration problems, speech delay and sometimes seizures. The exact number of people who have fragile X is unknown, but it’s estimated that one in 4,000 males and one in 6,000 to 8,000 females have the disorder, according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.